The purpose of this book is to show how mechanistic principles can be applied both to acquiring a knowledge of organic synthetic processes and to planning the construction of organic compounds. It is designed for those who have had no more than a brief introduction to organic chemistry and who require a broad understanding of the subject.

The book is in two parts. In Part I, reaction mechanism is set in its wider context of the basic principles and concepts that underlie chemical reactions: chemical thermodynamics, structural theory, theories of reaction kinetics, mechanism itself, and stereochemistry.

In Part II, these principles and concepts are applied to the formation of particular types of bonds, groupings, and compounds: for example, how small molecules can be built on to give larger ones by the construction of new carbon-carbon bonds, or how one functional group can be transformed into another. The final chapter in Part II describes the planning and detailed execution of the multi-step syntheses of several complex naturally occurring compounds

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There have been numerous important developments since the second edition of this book was published 15 years ago, and every chapter has been brought up to date to include them.

Among the more notable are: the stereochemical control of reactions, reflecting the need to synthesize efficiently compounds with several asymmetric centres; the use of organotransition-metal reagents, leading to a new chapter; the exploitation of lithium diisopropylamide (LDA) as a base in the formation of new C-C bonds; free-radical reactions for the synthesis of C-C bonds; uses of organosilicon compounds; and subtle new protective and condensing reagents in polypeptide synthesis.

The text is extensively cross-referenced and a detailed index is included.